Rich, thin televisions vie for crown at CES

A battle for the Consumer Electronics Show television crown commenced on Tuesday with LG unveiling a rich new model no thicker than four stacked credit cards.

The South Korean consumer electronics colossus opened a packed day of press conferences at CES with a line-up that included an OLED Signature television touted as "quite literally, a picture on glass."

The panel measures an unprecedented 2.57 mm, LG Electronics USA marketing vice president David VanderWaal said during an on-stage presentation.

"Our passion and commitment for OLED has never been stronger," VanderWaal said.

"OLED TV is already recognized as the best TV ever."

OLED displays have pixels that emit their own light, while pixels in LCD TVs are illuminated by backlights.

OLED screens boast deeper blacks, allowing for a wider range of color than LCD displays. They also tend to come with higher price tags.

LCD televisions remain "the king of screens" with sizes trending up, according to the Consumer Technology Association, the trade group behind CES.

One in every five televisions sold this year was expected to be 50 inches, measured diagonally, or more and feature ultra high-definition 4K resolution.

- 'Premium' certification -

LG was among TV makers here introducing new models that will come with a freshly minted Ultra-High Definition Premium Certification signalling that they meet standards freshly-established by an alliance representing manufacturers, technology companies, and studios creating content.

"The criteria established by this broad cross section of the Ultra HD ecosystem enables the delivery of a revolutionary in-home experience," UHD Alliance chairman Hanno Basse said in a release.

"And, the Ultra HD Premium logo gives consumers a single, identifying mark to seek out so they can purchase with confidence."

Analysts interviewed by AFP expected adoption of 4K ultra-high definition televisions to pick up speed this year as prices get in reach of more consumers and the displays become marketplace norms.

LG built Dolby Vision technology into its new televisions.

"Dolby Vision creates a picture so lifelike you will forget you are looking at a TV screen," Dolby Labs senior vice president Giles Baker said during the presentation.

Dolby Vision has been used in major films including box-office record-breaker "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," according to Giles.

The LG television line-up included "Super UHD" LCD displays as slim s 6.6 mm and a new flagship 8K television measuring 98 inches diagonally.